Past, Present, Future
by Five Minutes Til Bedtime
Summary: MD  For the people who remember the true story of Jack's immortality and never bought into the whole blood business.


Title: **Past, Present, Future**

Summary: [MD] For the people who remember the true story of Jack's immortality and never bought into the whole blood business.

Fandom: Doctor Who X Torchwood Miracle Day

Word Count: 2,096

* * *

><p>"Ouch!"<p>

"Oh, suck it up you big baby," said Ester, slapping his arm lightly. Jack rolled his eyes. Half tempted to pull his arm away, despite the fact that he was caught between his own gunshot wound and the woman hovering over him.

"I told you already. There is _nothing _special about my blood."

"I'll be the judge of that."

* * *

><p>Despite everything, Jack was still hesitant over this plan. There was <em>nothing <em>special about his blood. Nothing. He'd said it until his throat had gone hoarse but no one, not even Gwen, had believed him.

Now here they were in China, with Rex and Ester exactly half way around the world in Buenos Aires, all their hopes resting on a suitcase full of blood and Jack's own veins. Jack didn't like it. Despite all the evidence, he still knew that his immortality was not something running through his veins. It wasn't something physical…it was a gift – a curse. He hadn't been born with it. It was given to him.

But he had no choice but to continue on with this foolish plan. After all, it was their only hope. They had no other clues, no other chances. This was it.

So even if he knew it was wrong, Jack had no choice but to go for it.

* * *

><p>The blood floated out of him, flying towards the gapping rift in a sort of macabre beauty. Jack hated blood. Hated the pain and the anguish and the loss (always the loss) that came with it. In this one instance, though, he found himself rejoicing at the sight of it.<p>

For a brief moment all was still. Then, the world began to shake. The crack began to tremble, break apart, close in. The platform they were standing on jolted, then everything erupted into movement.

Gwen was there, pulling him away from the ledge, carrying his weight as they limped together towards the lift. There was the blonde woman – that bitch – standing in their way, ranting fanatically. Gwen was arguing back. Threatening, pulling her gun.

Jack cast one nervous look behind him towards the rift and his surrounds dropped away. For a full moment he didn't believe. Couldn't. It was impossible.

Impossible. Right. As if such a thing actually existed.

For there, speeding away from the rift, body bent in a stunning arch, was the unmistaken figure of Rose Tyler.

* * *

><p>He laid her gently down on the bed, as tenderly as he might a precious baby. Her hair had grown since he'd last seen her and there were dark circles under her eyes. She'd lost weight since they'd last been together, and not in a good way. Still, she didn't seem to have aged a day.<p>

She was still his Rose.

"Who is she?" Gwen asked. It was not the first time she had said the words, just the first time he had registered them.

"Rose. Rose Tyler."

Gwen made an unconvinced voice. "Yes. But _who is she?_"

"The most remarkable woman in the universe."

He could tell she didn't believe him.

* * *

><p>It took three days for Rose to awaken. Plenty of time to get back to England. Rex and Ester were both dead; Rex from the wound in his chest, Ester from a gun shot. Jack knew he should have felt sad, but he couldn't say he was that unhappy to the see the man go, though Ester had grown on him. Neither Jack nor Gwen were inclined to ever step foot in America again, even to keep up the mess they'd left there.<p>

They touched down in Cardiff. Rhys and the baby were waiting with open for Gwen with open arms as the private jet (called in by a favor someone owed Jack) hit the tarmac. The Welsh woman practically vaulted herself out of the aircraft, not sparing a single glance back as Jack gathered Rose's body up into his arms.

Jack took her to a flat he had kept on reserve in Cardiff. It was uncomfortably close to Torchwood Three but the only secure enough place Jack trusted to whole up in. His body had healed up on its own, just as it always did, but his defenses had yet to relax. Immortality didn't mean anything when there was something fragile to protect.

It was in wee hours of the night three days from when he had first cradled her in his arms, that Rose Tyler began to stir. He expected disorientation, confusion, even fear. What he didn't expect was for Rose's eyes to snap open at the first sight of him and for her body to jerk up at once.

"Jack?" Her voice was gentle, soft, as if she feared that if she spoke any louder he might shatter before her eyes. A slim, delicate hand reached up, touched his face. Warm. "Jack?"

"It's me, Rose. Your back."

And then his urges overthrew him and he couldn't held but lunging forward to take her in his arms, lifting her out of bed and twirling her in his arms. Her laughter mingled with his continuous cries of _Rose Rose Rose_. Over and over, like a prayer.

Eventually, too dizzy to go on, they collapse onto the bed. Wide smiles and wet eyes. Their hands found each other's unconsciously. _I'm here_.

After a few quiet seconds spent just basking in the moment, Rose's quiet voice broke the stale air.

"Jack, where is he?" She didn't need to clarify.

"I don't know," he answered honestly.

* * *

><p>They decided to find him. Rose wouldn't take no for an answer. Didn't accept that it was, if not impossible, then very, very improbable. Jack wasn't inclined to tell her so anyway.<p>

One thing was sure, Rose had learned a thing or too during her stay in the parallel universe. Like rocket science and temporal physics for example.

He asked her about it just once, and regretted it the instant a look of pure grief crossed her eyes.

"John, he was good with his hands. Taught me everything I know. We always planned on seeing the stars again but…"

She didn't finish. He didn't push.

So the didn't actual build a space ship or a time

* * *

><p>machine or anything like the sort. They built something even more difficult – something that could track a time machine turned space ship.<p>

It took them entirely too long. As the months, and eventually the years began to pass, Jack ignored the fact that Rose changed as much as he did – not at all.

And then, finally. The answer came one day.

"Take a left up here," Rose ordered, eyes trained on the small glowing screen in her hand (the object of their long labor), unconcerned when Jack's reckless driving took their rental car up on two wheels.

Jack spotted the sign in the distance. "There it is. Leadworth. How much time do we have?"

"Three minutes – step on it, Jack."

* * *

><p>The house was dark. Sleeping save for a single light shining on the second floor. They pulled into the driveway on screeching wheels and sliding gravel. Rose and Jack leaped out of the car at once. Rose held up the screen. Jack checked his watch.<p>

11:00

"It's time," he said.

They held their breath. Straining their ears. Any second now…

"I don't hear it," Jack breathed. "Come on, Doctor…"

A little gasp. "Jack, look up!"

The man's head snapped up. At once he saw what Rose had seen. The TARDIS, the beautiful, blue, impossible box, was barreling down towards them, a hunk of flaming, screeching wood.

"Get back!" Jack shouted, eyes widening. They ran, hitting the house's wall and protecting their heads. One instant – nothing. The next –

_Crash! _

The ground shook, weakening Jack's knees. He glanced over to Rose, only to see the blonde girl already retracting herself from the wall and sprinting across the yard. Jack turned. His jaw dropping as he saw the TARDIS, flat on it's back, an eerie light coming out. Rose was half way there when the door suddenly sprang open and head popped out, quickly followed by a body as the Doctor shimmied out of the crashed TARDIS.

And it was the Doctor, of that Jack was certain. But Jack recognized the signs of regeneration in a heartbeat.

* * *

><p>The Doctor pulled himself out of the TARDIS, coughing as steam from over worked engines caught in his lungs. He managed to pull himself over the threshold, sitting himself on the lip of the doorway. His hair flopped wet and limply into his eyes. Long – too long. New.<p>

For a brief moment he sat, oblivious to the small little back yard he had crashed into. Then –

"DOCTOR!"

* * *

><p>Rose saw him climb out of the TARDIS. New face, new body, same Doctor. Her heart was breaking and growing and shattering all at once. Her Doctor. Not her Doctor. The same. So very different.<p>

Inside, a cry built up in her. His name slipped from her lips unbidden.

"DOCTOR!"

His head looked up (different face, same eyes). His expression went blank – a sign, she knew, of his complete surprise.

And then she reached him and her arms went around his neck and she was pressing her lips against him and they were tilting back and falling and

_Splash!_

* * *

><p>Jack watched as Rose reached the Doctor, threw her arms around him and kissed him. Her force pushed the Doctor back through the doors, and his arm, which had come to wrap around her waist in the first second of contact, pulled her over the edge with him.<p>

Jack's smile fell. He ran to the TARDIS and peered through the doors. Inside, steam too thick too see through obscured his vision.

"Rose?" he called. "Doctor?"

* * *

><p>Rose heard Jack's worried voice echo through out the room and smiled against the Doctor's lips. The sound echoed through out the library as it would a regular indoor swimming pool.<p>

With enormous effort she drew her self back from the Doctor's stunned face, ignoring his stammering, and tilted her head up.

"We're fine Jack! We landed in the swimming pool."

* * *

><p>What?<p>

Rose was in his arms. Rose was kissing him. Rose was in here. Rose was –

He kissed back. He was mad. Obviously this regeneration was absolutely mental. Rose was gone, gone, gone, gone. But if being crazy meant being able to kiss Rose Tyler again he was happily insane.

They fell. Straight into the pool he had just climbed out of. He knew there was a reason he put the pool direction opposite the TARDIS doors. Brilliant he was.

He didn't release his hallucination even as they splashed into the pool. Merely pulled her in closer and kissed her desperately. It lasted for an eternity. It lasted for a second.

A familiar voice from above suddenly reached them. Jack? Was that Jack? How was that –

And Rose pulled away from him long enough to shout out a reply before she turned on him, fire in her eyes. The Doctor realized his mouth was working though his brain didn't seem to be functioning. _Rose? Was that - ? How are you? I'm crazy aren't I? Was that Jack? Why is Jack here? Did I make him up too? Don't tell me he's going to snog me too? But you're Rose? You can't be here. Your –_

And Rose's lips met his again. He stopped asking questions.

If this was a dream he was never waking up again.

* * *

><p>Jack's worry vanished at Rose's reply. He could hear her very joy in her voice, no longer the quiet thing as when she had first returned to this universe.<p>

Resting against the TARDIS, Jack briefly contemplated jumping through the doors and joining his friends before shutting the thought away. Let them have their reunion. He'd have his chance soon enough.

* * *

><p>Several long, long minutes later and the sopping wet figures of the Doctor and Rose appeared out of the door way. Jack helped Rose out first. Then pulled the Doctor up then crushed him in his arms. He was back. He was really back.<p>

"God I've missed you," Jack whispered.

The Doctor didn't have to say a word.

* * *

><p>And they were all together. Jack, Rose, and the Doctor. Broken no more.<p>

* * *

><p>A sudden, little cough interrupted them. The three of them turned as one.<p>

"Excuse me?"

A little red hair girl was staring at him in his nightie.

"Did Santa send you?"

* * *

><p>AN Right…This was meant to be just a short little 400 word drabble. I was just going to leave it right when Rose appears and let your minds do the filling in, but then I thought that that might be cruel and…

Yeah, it got away from me.


End file.
